Read all about when Mark Mallalieu met with Chris Packham to discuss the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and how, with the help of passive recording we may start to understand the true numbers in Sussex woodland.
“High in the trees and rarely seen, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is one of Sussex’s most elusive woodland residents. Once common enough to nest in school grounds, these tiny woodpeckers are now among England’s rarest woodland species — and spotting one requires patience, skill, and a fair amount of luck.
Behind the scenes, Dr. Ken Smith has developed acoustic survey techniques that are transforming the team’s ability to find them. Passive recorders capture their distinctive drumming and rather Kestrel-like calls over days or even weeks, picking up what no human surveyor ever could. Even perched high in a favoured tree such as Alder, Birch, or Beech, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is starting to give itself away.
On site, Chris Packham and Mark Mallalieu of the Sussex Ornithological Society have initiated the hunt – listening for the unique calls, scanning the treetops, and making the search for Sussex’s rarest drummer both thrilling and surprisingly addictive.”
Can you read the article here https://www.ecotalk.co.uk/community-stories/bowyers-biodiversity-update
Thanks to SOS members Mark Mallalieu, Dr Ken Smith and to Simon Linington for his footage contribution to the video.
Please watch the video here